Conan, Heiji, and Masumi Explore the Folding House
by Swagnarok
Summary: Ayako Suzuki's wedding is fast approaching! It's scheduled to be held in an old, mysterious Western-style mansion built by Samizu Kichiemon, a place nicknamed the Folding House. However, an anonymous letter threatens the union, declaring that the happy couple will be murdered on their wedding day. Can the three high school detectives uncover the truth in time? Episodes 925-926.
1. Episode 925

"Program is starting up."

"Scarlet Lady will be ready for launch in 30 seconds."

He looked around; the room was dimly lit, with red glowering lights being the only source of illumination in this underground room. The cables lining the floor and the walls looked like veins; this combined with the rooms high humidity and warm air flow made him feel like he was standing in the bowels of some gigantic beast.

Far from it, though; this room housed what was one of mankind's most advanced and deadliest weapons. This room was a gateway, a temple, a sacred place; it would be where the old world perished and the new world began.

Merlot took out a cigar and lit it. He had quit years ago, but this was an occasion that merited not a small amount of celebratory smoking.

He was an old man; by looking at him one would naturally think that his wrinkled face was the scarring left by many eventful and struggle-filled years, that he had a myriad of stories to tell those young people who were willing to take the time to sit down and listen to him talk. In truth, it was the opposite; his face had worn out through many wasted years and a life of empty waiting.

Merlot was born into a society very difficult from the prosperous liberal democracies, very different from the country that he was standing in now. He was born a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, AKA the U.S.S.R, AKA the Soviet Union. He was born into a time when the West and the communist countries were locked in a struggle for the future of humanity. The Cold War. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had enormous stockpiles of nuclear weapons, with which the total annihilation of the human race was possible. World War Three.

Merlot, long before he came to don that name, was, unlike the vast majority of people on both sides of the Iron Curtain, captivated rather than terrified by the prospect of another world war. He missed out on the first two; he had no memory of the great and terrible German invasion of his homeland, or of when valiant soldiers of the Red Army raised the hammer and sickle over Berlin. He felt cheated, and justifiably so; had he been born 20 years earlier, he could've fought in the Great Patriotic War.

However, in those times it seemed like any day the two superpowers might finally decide to duke it out in a battle for the ages. And when that happened, he wanted to be there. So in 1962 he joined the Soviet Navy, and he was deployed to the Pacific Fleet.

The Pacific Fleet...where nothing happened. Not a single battle in the entirety of the Cold War. He grew older; one day he looked in the mirror and found that instead of a young sailor he was now a middle-aged sailor.

Finally, in late December of 1991, he received word that the Soviet Union had formally dissolved. In its place was left a myriad of independent states with vastly different interests. The Cold War was over. The spectre of nuclear war which had for decades loomed over the entire world began to fade away at long last.

In 1998, when the new millennium was drawing near, he formally resigned from his position as captain of a Russian warship operating in the Pacific, which had been his only reward for his many years of waiting for a war that never came.

For the next three years he secluded himself to the home of his younger brother, despairing of life itself. He had no further reason to live except to drink.

In 2001, however, he was bestruck by a new mission, a new gospel, one unheard of except by a tiny cabal of mostly Japanese businessmen. They called themselves the Black Organisation, and their objective was to replace the species Homo Sapiens with a long-gone cousin species to humanity which they called "Antichrist". To accomplish this, of course, they had to rid this earth of the modern man.

He was a man who possessed talents and connections that the Council of the Black Organisation desperately needed. Furthermore, because his deployment in the Pacific Fleet was so close to Japan, he had learned Japanese, enabling easy communication between him and the Council. Most importantly, he wanted what they wanted. So they contacted him, and they invited him to join the Council. He accepted their invitation joyfully, and he was reborn as Merlot.

He wanted to see this ever increasingly utopian world to burn, to be replaced with a post-apocalyptic landscape. At long last, this old man's dream would come true.

"Scarlet Lady is ready!"

This announcement snapped him out of his deep contemplation and back to the present situation.

"Sir, shall we launch?"

Every eye in the room was fixed on the old man; he grinned like he hadn't grinned in years.

"LAUNCH NOW!"

 **Scene Transition**

Two minutes later, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (AKA "North Korea") was suddenly plunged into total darkness. All electric power and lighting went offline, all telephone lines went down, running water to people's homes was disabled, and whatever internet access existed in the country went offline.

The regime immediately scrambled to organise its forces for an eminent American attack.

However, the United States did not invade North Korea that night. After all, they were not behind this cyberattack. Fearing an eminent nuclear retaliation, the State Department contacted the DPRK's embassy in London and assured them that the U.S. wasn't behind the blackout.

Within a week, power was restored to the entire country; the DPRK's state-run media blamed the Americans for the blackout but did not retaliate. Technically they were able to do so; North Korea's nuclear platform ran on analog systems, so the cyberattack was unable to seize control of or disable their nuclear arsenal. Ultimately the North Korean regime lacked the ability to trace the country of origin of the hack.

The test confirmed to the Council that the weapon's development was proceeding smoothly; according to their expert, at the current rate of development the ultimate weapon would be complete within two or three years.

 **Scene Transition**

 **The Next Day**

"Geez, why did we have to go?" Kogoro asked as he drove.

"Sonoko-kun was Ran's best friend," Eri said. "If her sister's getting married, we should show up."

"I get that," Kogoro said. "But why the h**l are we showing up a day early?!"

"Conan-kun spent a lot of time around her, whenever he'd follow Ran around," Eri said. "He's the one who really wanted to go, and he asked if he could come a day early, so he could spend some time with her; Sonoko-kun was okay with it. If we're gonna drive all the way to Osaka we might as well stay the night too. Isn't that right, Conan-kun?"

Conan nodded. "That's right, auntie Eri."

Nancy bent over and whispered into Conan's ear: "Again, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Conan whispered back.

In truth, Nancy was the one who wanted to attend Ayako's wedding. Prior to her death she had promised Sonoko that she'd be there on Ayako's big day. Sonoko still believed Ran to be dead, but Nancy felt obligated to show up anyway. Too many years had been invested in their friendship not to.

 **Scene Transition**

They got out of the rental car. In front of them was a large Western-style house, located in the Osakan countryside.

From the second floor Sonoko looked at the window and saw the Mouris' rental car. She ran downstairs and barged outside.

"Ah!" she said. " _Oji-sama_! Eri-san! I didn't think you would actually come!"

"This kid wanted to be here a day early," Kogoro said, looking at Conan.

Sonoko looked at Conan. "Conan-kun, do you know whose wedding this is?"

"Your big sister Ayako and Yuzo Tomizawa are getting married, right?" Conan asked. "I remember Ran talking about it, and it was marked on her calendar."

That technically wasn't a lie.

Sonoko looked at the rental car. She noticed that there was a little girl sitting in the back. That girl was wearing a baseball cap and looking down.

"Who's that?" Sonoko asked.

"Oh, her name's Nancy," Eri said. "I wonder why she hasn't gotten out yet."

She walked over to the back of the car, opened the door, and coerced Nancy into getting out.

"Hi there," Sonoko said with a smile. "Are you here with...?"

Whenever Nancy looked up at Sonoko, as soon as the two of them made eye contact, Sonoko stopped dead in her tracks. Without asking permission she instinctively took off Nancy's hat; the young girl's hair was long and messy, her usual braids not having been applied.

W-what the h**l?! Sonoko thought. Why the h**l does this girl look exactly like...?!

"...May I have my hat back?" Nancy asked, feeling uncomfortable with this level of exposure.

Sonoko reluctantly handed Nancy her hat back, and she quickly put it back on.

Eri whispered in Sonoko's ear: "She looks just like her, right?"

"I-is she Ran's cousin?" Sonoko asked.

Kogoro shook his head. "Nope, she isn't any relative of ours."

"Ah! Conan-kun! Nancy-chan!"

Masumi Sera emerged from the building. "You're here for Ayako-neechan's big day?"

Conan nodded.

"Ey, Masumi! Ya finished checkin' da upstairs, right? Ey, why aintcha...?!"

Heiji walked outside. "Eh? Kudo?"

"Kudo?" Kogoro said. "Wait, you didn't just call this brat by that name again, did you?"

"Wait, Heiji knew before I did?" Nancy whispered to Conan, annoyed.

"He figured out my real identity fair and square," Conan whispered back. "I wasn't going to tell him."

"He reminds me of Kudo," Heiji said apologetically to Kogoro. "Anyway, uh, Conan, you ain't gonna believe dis! Dis ain't just big...dis is YUUUUUUGGGEEE!"

 **Opening**

(Jump by Mai Kuraki)

(In my time as a detective I've learned that tingling feelings are subconscious observations! The trapmaster's final masterpiece...a mansion housing many secrets and an assassin! He perceives the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult, his name is…Detective Conan!)

Sometimes I think the beat is just too fast for me

Other times the beat is way too slow

The clothes passed down to me are a size too small

How can anyone walk in these shoes?

The thermostat is kept a notch too low

My awkward shadow bumps into everything

The silence in my daily life is deafening

And other times the music's way too loud

There is a world for me over the canyon

A world that's just my size, just my tempo

Don't look back, don't look down

Just close your eyes and take a leap into the dark

You got to jump, you got to jump

Like you're reaching for precious oxygen

You got to jump, you got to jump

Like you're aiming for the shining stars

You got to jump, you got to jump

Don't even fall back to get a running start

When your feet hit ground that's its own reward

But you will never know until you jump

 **Conan, Heiji, and Masumi Explore the Folding House! Part One!**

"Yuuuuuuuge?" Conan repeated.

"You got dat right," Heiji said. "Dis place here wuz built by Samizu Kichiemon. We's tryin' to see wut da trick for dis place is but so far we ain't found nothin."

"I'm confused," Conan said. "You just came here to explore it on Ayako-neesan's wedding day?"

"Uh, no," Sonoko said. "You see..."

 **Scene Transition**

They were in standing in the ballroom now.

"HUUUHHH?!" Kogoro said. "The bride and groom were threatened?!"

Shiro Suzuki nodded. "Here's the note."

He handed it to Kogoro. It read:

 _The union of Ayako Suzuki and Yuzo Tomizawa makes me sick. More than that: it makes my blood boil. I can't stand it. So I'm going to kill them both. Not after they've gone away to their new home. No: I'm going to kill them during the wedding. Not only that, but I'm going to get away with it, using the secrets held within the Folding House. Look forward to it, hahaha._

"Folding House?" Kogoro asked.

"Yeah," Jirokichi said. "That's the nickname of this house, because of a long-standing rumour about its design."

"I don't get it," Eri said.

"Like Heiji said before, this western-style mansion was built by Samizu Kichiemon, the great trapmaster," Sonoko said. "It was in the 1870s, after the Meiji Restoration and the opening of Japan to the modern world. A wealthy businessman named Jinpei Miyamoto spent a year in Europe. Whenever he came back he wanted to build a mansion for himself, of the likes which he had seen in Europe. So he employed the aging architect Samizu Kichiemon to build it. Construction lasted from 1873 to 1879. Isn't that right, Uncle Jirokichi?"

Jirokichi nodded, impressed that Sonoko knew so much about the history of this building. "If that were all to the story, this place would be your typical Western-style mansion. But since Samizu Kichiemon was building it, it was bound to have a...quirk."

"And that would be...?" Kogoro asked.

"It hasn't been demonstrated to be anything more than a rumour, but apparently this house could make all the rooms and hallways on the top floor just disappear," Jirokichi said. "In its place would be rooms and hallways on the upper floor which didn't exist in this house before. Most people concluded that through hydraulics this house would somehow 'fold' and replace the upper floor with something from the now inaccessible attic. And therefore this house was forever nicknamed the Folding House. I acquired this building 7 months ago, and for a bargain price might I add, but I haven't been able to confirm the existence of any such elaborate mechanical apparatus. Given this I concluded the rumour to be false. However, in light of this threat, it's possible the culprit knows something about this place that we don't, and obviously I need to take every precaution to keep Shiro's little girl safe during the wedding. Therefore I hired these two youngsters...er, what's your names again?"

"Heiji," the Osakan said with annoyance.

"Masumi Sera."

"Right," Jirokichi said. "I hired them to investigate before the wedding."

"And what have they found?" Tomoko Suzuki asked.

"We're, uh, still working on it," Masumi said.

"I guess we betta' get back ta' work," Heiji said. "Ey, Conan, ya comin' with us?"

"Uncle Kogoro, Auntie Eri, can I?" Conan pleaded.

Kogoro nodded.

"As long as you don't get in their way," Eri said.

"Thanks," Conan said happily, running after his two high school detective peers.

 **Scene Transition**

"Give me a rundown of everything you two know," Conan said.

They were standing outside of the building now.

"Da building itself has da following layout," Heiji said. "There's da first floor, da second floor, and den an attic floor dat we can't get to. On da first floor is da entrance, wit da two sets of stairs on da left an' right sides. Forwahd is da ballroom, an' on da left an' right sides of dat is da kitchen and da porch room, respectively. Past da ballroom is da chapel."

"A chapel?" Conan said.

"Yeah," Masumi said. "Jinpei Miyamoto converted to Christianity during his trip to Europe. Whenever this place was being built he insisted that it include a chapel for Sunday services, even though the full Bible wasn't translated into Japanese until 1887. In fact, the reason that the wedding is being held here is because of the chapel; Yuzo-san is a Christian, so he requested that the wedding be done Christian-style and in a church building. The Suzukis agreed to this."

"So Jirokichi-san bought this building exclusively for Ayako-neesan's wedding?" Conan asked.

"Not quite" Heiji said. "De old guy says his latest business venture is ta rent de building for weddings."

Conan nodded. "How about the second floor?"

"The strange thing about the second floor is that it's divided into three pieces," Masumi said. "It really matters which of the two sets of stairs you take to get up there, because there's a wall dividing the second floor. At both ends, though, there's a door that leads to a large library. It's filled with Western texts that were translated into Japanese."

"So you said that before one reaches the library a wall divides the floor in two," Conan said. "Are there any other rooms within those two halves?"

Masumi nodded. "In both halves there's four rooms each; this means that in both halves there's a hallway in between the rooms and that dividing wall."

"You mentioned an attic," Conan said to Heiji.

"Oh, yeah," Heiji said "Dere's a sealed off entrance in da library ceiling."

"I see," Conan said. "So you two didn't find anything strange?"

"Well, actually, there was one thing," Masumi said. "Everything in this house...everything was nailed down. Beds, drawers, desks, tables, and even chairs. I learned this the hard way whenever I tried to push one of the beds. Strangely enough, even the library shelves had doors with latches."

"I'd like to see this upper floor for myself," Conan said.

 **Scene Transition**

The Mouris and the Suzukis sat down at one of the ballroom tables.

A man in an apron walked out of the kitchen, carrying a serving cart. He began handing out silver platters.

"Ah, thank you Hitoshi!" Jirokichi said. "What did you prepare today?"

"Sauteed Foie Gras and Jasmine Rice," Hitoshi Kamiya, age 27, said. "I'll be out with the rest in a minute."

"Mouri-san, I'd like you to meet Hitoshi Kamiya, an old friend of Ayako," Jirokichi said. "He's an excellent cook, but more importantly he manages my finances and my many projects. Most notably, he's been working behind the scenes on every one of my attempts to capture the Kid."

"I don't really do that much," Hitoshi said, blushing.

"Oh, you don't have to be so modest, meboy!" Jirokichi said, hitting him on the back.

Eri turned to Nancy. "Hey, did you tell Conan that dinner is ready?"

Nancy nodded. "He says he'll pass."

"He's gonna pass on this?" Kogoro said. "His loss, I guess." He began to chow down ravenously.

 _"Ch-chotto matte_!" Eri said. "You can't eat like a pig in front of our hosts!"

Shiro just laughed.

 **Scene Transition**

Conan, Heiji, and Masumi were deep in thought. None of them spoke. Finally...

"You guys got anything?" Heiji asked.

"Nope," Conan said.

"It looks like a relatively normal second floor to me," Masumi said. "The only weird things are..."

"First of all, that everything is nailed down," Conan said. "Second, that the walls separating the rooms are too short. The ceiling can't rest on them; structural integrity is only maintained through the outer walls and these five evenly spread out pillars, by the looks of things."

This one's gonna take a little while to figure out, Conan thought. Samizu Kichiemon really pulled no punches this time.

 **Scene Transition**

The Suzuki adults and the Mouris were engaged in a conversation about Kogoro's many (supposed) exploits as a detective. Sonoko tapped Nancy's shoulder to get her attention.

"Do you want to talk at another table where it's quiet?" Sonoko asked.

Nancy nodded and the two of them moved to a table on the other side of the room.

"Your name is Nancy, right?" Sonoko asked.

Nancy nodded.

"What's your last name?" Sonoko asked.

"Uh, Akechi," Nancy answered. "My name is Nancy Akechi."

"Who are your parents?" Sonoko asked.

Nancy didn't know how to answer that question. She stammered in vain, trying to find words to say to deflect suspicion from herself.

"Nancy's parents are named Masaichi and Hiroko Akechi."

They turned their heads to see Conan standing in front of them.

"Isn't that what you told me the other day, Nancy?" Conan said.

Nancy nodded, relieved that Conan had arrived just in the nick of time.

"I take it you've figured out the puzzle?" Nancy asked.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Conan said nervously. "It's Heiji-niichan and Sera-no-neechan who solve cases! I'm just a kid!"

Geez, don't talk like that when other people who aren't in on the secret are around, Conan thought with annoyance.

"Did the two of them solve it, then?" Nancy asked, slightly irritated.

"Not yet," Conan said. "This one doesn't seem to have a clear-cut answer. They're not even sure if there is a secret to this house."

There was a ring of the doorbell (which was battery-powered).

Hitoshi Kamiya went to answer it. He opened the door and...

Standing there was Ayako Suzuki, the bride-to-be. He blushed, averted his gaze, and stepped aside. She entered the mansion, and she was followed by her fiance, Yuzo Tomizawa.

Sonoko came to the entrance. "Ayako! It's so good to see you! Are you two here for a last-minute rehearsal?"

Yuzo nodded. "Ayako said it'd be a good idea to practice the ceremony one more time."

"Wait, who's going to stand in for the priest?" Shiro asked.

"There's no need for a stand-in," Ayako said. "He should be at the door any second."

At that moment, the designated priest for the wedding knocked on the door. Hitoshi opened it and the man stepped inside. He was...

T-this guy?! Conan thought.

Indeed; the man was Ryan Jackson, age 48. He was an African-American CIA agent, the boss of Yoshiteru Nichimura. Conan had met both of them during his most recent encounter with the Men in Black.

He looked at Conan. "Ah, we meet again."

I take it Yoshiteru told him the truth...about me? Conan thought.

"You and the brat have met?" Kogoro asked.

This conversation is sounding really familiar, Conan thought with a deadpan look.

"Once before," Ryan Jackson said. "Anyways, Conan-kun, in case you were curious, I have two jobs. The first is at...The Company, and the second is as a wedding caterer and pastor for wedding ceremonies."

"What are your credentials, just out of curiosity?" Jirokichi asked.

"I got a Bachelor's in Theology at Loyola University Maryland," Jackson said. "I served as a chaplain for the U.S. Army for several years, mostly in Iraq during the war. I was there at the Second Battle of Fallujah in late 2004. Anyways, shall we begin the rehearsal?"

From the corner of his eye, Conan then noticed something: Hitoshi's fists were clenched, and that look on his face was clearly one of a man holding back anger.

 **Scene Transition**

Ayako and Yuzo practiced the wedding ceremony with Ryan Jackson as everyone else just sat and watched.

Conan got up and sat down beside Tomoko Suzuki.

"Hey, auntie, I have something to ask you," Conan whispered.

"Not now, boy," she said.

"It's for uncle Kogoro," he said. "He wants to know: was there a romantic history between your daughter and the butler?"

"He noticed that, huh?" Tomoko said. "You can tell Mouri-san this: No, the two of them were never a couple. But Hitoshi-kun has had a crush on Ayako since they were both in high school. A rumour has it that he was devastated when Ayako and Yuzo announced their engagement."

Given the content of the threatening letter, that makes him an obvious suspect, Conan thought. The motive is there, after all.

"Oh, there's one more thing I'd like for Mouri-san to know," Tomoko said. "It's simply this: that despite this fact, I don't think Hitoshi-kun is the culprit."

"Eh?" Conan said. "Why not?"

She smiled. "Hitoshi-kun has been a friend of the Suzuki family for over 15 years. I think I know the boy well enough to say this confidently: He doesn't have it in him to take a human life, much less that of the woman he loves. Mouri-san's time and effort had best be spent investigating other people who might actually be the culprit."

 **Scene Transition**

"Are you sure you're alright with paying for our room?" Eri asked.

"It's fine," Shiro said. "If it's just a one-time thing, then it's absolutely no strain on the Suzuki family fortune. Besides I'm hoping that the great Detective Mouri will lend us his assistance in catching this would-be assassin."

"You can count on me," Kogoro said.

They had all driven to a nearby Inn for the night, since the mattresses and blankets for the nailed-down beds on the Folding House's second floor had been taken out long ago. The Mouris occupied one room, the Suzukis and Yuzo another, Jirokichi and Hitoshi the third room, and Heiji and Masumi the fourth.

There was a knock on the door to the fourth room; Heiji was in the bed closer to the door, so he got up and opened it.

"Eh? Kudo?" Heiji said. "Whatcha doin' up? And why'dcha bring Ra..."

Conan coughed very loudly, then pointing to Masumi.

"Er, Nancy?" Heiji finished, correcting himself.

"Can we come in?" Conan asked.

"Sure," Masumi said from the other side of the room.

"So Heiji knows about me too?" Nancy whispered to Conan.

"He would've figured it out anyway," Conan answered, a bit too loudly.

Masumi didn't respond because she already knew what they were talking about.

Anyways, they entered and Heiji closed the door behind them.

"I take it you came so we can think over the case some more?" Masumi asked.

"Yeah," Conan said.

 **Scene Transition**

"But how 'bout da culprit?" Heiji asked. "He said he's gonna use da trick of da Folding House ta get away with murder. How's dat gonna woik?"

"Presumably, he meant that the second floor would 'fold'," Masumi said. "Does that mean he's hiding out in the attic now?"

"But dere ain't no way to get up dere," Heiji said. "We checked, rememba?"

"It's possible that they used a ladder," Conan said. "Once they're in they could pull the ladder up into the attic with them."

"I guess gettin' up into dat attic should be our priority tomorrow morning," Heiji said. "At da very least it might shed some light on da trick."

"We'll have to ask Jirokichi-san for a ladder," Masumi said.

"...Well, that's all for tonight," Conan said yawning. "We'll be heading back to our room now."

 **One Minute** **Later**

There was a knock at the door. Heiji opened it.

Conan's and Nancy had ghostly pale looks on their faces.

"W-we can't go back there tonight," Nancy said.

"Huh?" Heiji said, confused.

"There were loud groaning noises on the other side of that door," Conan explained.

"...Oh," Heiji said, realising what that meant.

And so Conan and Nancy stayed in the room with Heiji and Masumi for the night.

Conan and Heiji shared a bed, and Nancy began to climb in the other bed.

"H-hey!" Masumi said. "What are you...?"

"Uh, you don't mind if I sleep here, do you?" Nancy asked.

"...No," Masumi said. "It's fine. Make yourself at home."

There has to be some limit, Masumi thought. Despite externalities, the truth is unwavering like a mountain, so there needs to be limits. And this is where I draw the line.

Masumi got up, grabbed her pillow, and laid down on the floor next to the bed.

 **Scene Transition**

Early the next day, they were heading back to the Folding House. Hitoshi drove the limousine, while Jirokichi sat in the front left seat. Heiji, Masumi, Conan, and Nancy sat in the back.

Oh, my aching back, Masumi thought.

"Ey, didja guys tink of anything last night?" Heiji asked.

"Oh yeah, the ladder," Conan said. "Hey, Jirokichi-san, would it be possible for us to go buy a ladder somewhere?"

"I already tried doing what you laddies are thinking," Jirokichi said. "It would appear that the only way into the attic is through breaking the glass."

"But maybe we could at least see inside the attic?" Masumi said.

Jirokichi shook his head. "That glass isn't transparent. You can't see anything on the other side even if you put your face right up to it. But if you really insist on trying, that ladder should be in the backyard somewhere."

"Hey, Sera-no-neechan," Conan said. "Why we're you sleeping on the floor last night?"

"Oh, uh, I was actually feeling a little dizzy lying next to the edge of the bed," Masumi lied. "And I figured Nancy-chan might sleep in the middle, so I didn't want to make less space for her. So I decided to sleep on the floor."

 **Scene Transition**

The limousine pulled up in front of the Folding House.

"Hitoshi-kun, you brought the keys, right?" Jirokichi asked.

Hitoshi nodded, taking them out of his pocket. "I've got them right here."

They approached the front door. And then...

"H-hey! What the h**l?" Hitoshi said. "The door isn't locked!"

"Maybe you forgot to do that last night," Jirokichi said.

"But I distinctly remember locking it last night!" Hitoshi said.

Could it be...?! Conan, Heiji, and Masumi thought at the same time.

They hurried inside and ran upstairs. Sure enough...

"Th-the house," Masumi said, shocked by what she saw.

"It..." Heiji began.

"...folded," Conan finished.

The upper floor, which was just yesterday was western-style in design, was now a traditional Japanese-style floor with a completely different appearance and layout.

 **Ending:**

( _Natsu no Maboroshi_ by Garnet Crow, a chord sheet for my version of the song below)

D# Minor B Major F# Major C# Major

(Wordless opening part to the song)

A Major E Major F# Minor C# Minor

 _Heya no mado no mukou ni hikouki kumo o nazotte_

D Major C# Minor F# Minor G Major (E Major)

 _Kyou kenkashita kimi no koto bakari kangaeteta_

A Major E Major F# Minor C# Minor

 _Sasai na koto de to madotte fuantei de muboubi na_

D Major C# Minor F# Minor

 _Ano koro no you ni sugu ni denwashite_

D Major E Major F# Minor

 _Warai aetara ii no ni ne_

G# Major A# Major C Minor G Minor G# Major A# Major D# Major

 _Chika zuite kuru shifuku no toki wa_

G# Major D# Major G# Major A# Major

 _Itami o tomonainagara ashi oto o tateru_

C Minor G Minor G# Major A# Major D# Major G# Major D# Major A# Major

 _Kangaesugite fukami ni hamaru kimi no soba ni iru no ni_

E Major B Major C# Minor E Major

 _Natsu no maboroshi hitomi tojimete ichiban saishou ni kimi o omoidasu yo_

A Major B Major G# Minor C# Minor

 _Dakedo kimi to ikiteyukitai kara_

A Major E Major F# Minor G# Minor A Major B Major E Major

 _Tomadoinagara demo ii tsunaida te o hanasanaide ne_


	2. Episode 926

The limousine pulled up in front of the Folding House.

"Hitoshi-kun, you brought the keys, right?" Jirokichi asked.

Hitoshi nodded, taking them out of his pocket. "I've got them right here."

They approached the front door. And then...

"H-hey! What the h**l?" Hitoshi said. "The door isn't locked!"

"Maybe you forgot to do that last night," Jirokichi said.

"But I distinctly remember locking it last night!" Hitoshi said.

Could it be...?! Conan, Heiji, and Masumi thought at the same time.

They hurried inside and ran upstairs. Sure enough...

"Th-the house," Masumi said, shocked by what she saw.

"It..." Heiji began.

"...folded," Conan finished.

The upper floor, which was just yesterday was western-style in design, was now a traditional Japanese-style floor with a completely different appearance and layout.

 **Opening**

(Jump by Mai Kuraki)

(In my time as a detective I've learned that tingling feelings are subconscious observations! The trapmaster's final masterpiece...a mansion housing many secrets and an assassin! He perceives the one and only truth! With the body of a child but the mind of an adult, his name is…Detective Conan!)

Sometimes I think the beat is just too fast for me

Other times the beat is way too slow

The clothes passed down to me are a size too small

How can anyone walk in these shoes?

The thermostat is kept a notch too low

My awkward shadow bumps into everything

The silence in my daily life is deafening

And other times the music's way too loud

There is a world for me over the canyon

A world that's just my size, just my tempo

Don't look back, don't look down

Just close your eyes and take a leap into the dark

You got to jump, you got to jump

Like you're reaching for precious oxygen

You got to jump, you got to jump

Like you're aiming for the shining stars

You got to jump, you got to jump

Don't even fall back to get a running start

When your feet hit ground that's its own reward

But you will never know until you jump

 **Conan, Heiji, and Masumi Explore the Folding House! Part Two!**

"...Dang," Kogoro said, looking around. "This floor looks nothing like it was yesterday. I guess it really is a folding house."

"What do you two think?" Jirokichi asked Heiji and Masumi.

"Dat's a bit obvious, dontcha tink?" Heiji said. "Da culprit broke in and caused de second floor to 'fold' so dat it'd be sent up to da attic and be replaced with da attic's contents. Since he or she wuz most likely on da floor dat was sent up, he or she is most likely hidin' in da attic as we speak."

"Of course, it can be assumed that he or she will come down during the wedding and commit the murder," Masumi said.

"Can't the wedding be rescheduled and held elsewhere?" Eri asked. "I understand that doing so might push the wedding back months, but..."

"I concur," Yuzo said. "As much I hate to wait, I cannot ask Ayako to risk death at the hands of this maniac. And frankly, I'd personally prefer to avoid such risk if possible."

"I think they're right, sir," Hitoshi said. "The culprit explicitly stated that he or she would use the secret of the Folding House to commit the crime. Therefore, he or she might be unable to commit the murder and get away with it if the wedding was held somewhere else."

Jirokichi sighed and faced Ayako. "Do you want to cancel?"

"...No," Ayako said. "If Yuzo's okay with it, I'd like to have the today as planned."

" _Chotto matte kudasai_!" Yuzo protested. "I don't think it's sensible to risk our lives just so that the wedding isn't delayed. We'll enjoy many years together, Ayako. A few more months of waiting isn't all that important to me. But if we die now, we won't be able to enjoy any of that!"

"And if we wait, what guarantee is there that the culprit won't strike later?" Ayako asked. "Or what if he sends us another threatening letter then? Will we delay the wedding a second time? If Yuzo wants to delay the wedding, then I'll stand by his decision. But I'd prefer to not let fear dictate our lives."

"...Okay then," Yuzo said. "If this is really what you want, Ayako, then we'll have the wedding today as planned."

"Mouri-san, would it be too much to ask if we could all take shifts up here to make sure the culprit isn't able to get down from the attic unnoticed?" Jirokichi asked. "Just until after the wedding celebrations end."

"It won't be any trouble at all," Kogoro said.

"After the festivities end we can call the police," Tomoko said. "They'll break into that attic by force if necessary."

"Agreed," Jirokichi said. "So, who'll take the first shift?"

"Uh, I guess I will," Kogoro said.

"Hold on a second," Heiji said. "I don't tink dat just one person should be up hea. Da culprit could ovapowa one person. Masumi, Conan, how 'bout we stay up hea too and investigate da floor?"

"Sounds good to me," Masumi said.

Conan nodded.

 **Scene Transition**

Kogoro stood in place between the two sets of stairs, the dividing wall no longer being present.

Conan, Heiji, and Masumi walked from room to room, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Then Conan spotted something on the ground.

It was a coin. He picked it up and examined it.

"Huuuuuhh?!" Conan said.

Heiji and Masumi came running.

"I just found this 20 Sen coin," Conan said. "It's dated..."

"Meiji 36, right?" Masumi said.

"Wait, dat's yours?" Heiji asked.

"Yup," Masumi said with a sheepish grin. "I think of it as my personal treasure."

(Author's Note: Upon the establishment of the first modern Japanese coinage system in the late 19th century, differing units of value were established. The Yen was more or less equivalent to the Dollar at the time, though it would later devalue dramatically. The Sen had 1/100th value of the Yen, meaning 100 Sen were required to equal one Yen. At the end of 1953, the use of all Japanese coins of lesser value than the Yen was discontinued, and therefore the Sen is no longer in circulation. In the Japanese calendar system, Meiji 36 is equivalent to AD 1903.)

Conan handed it to Masumi. "Wait, when'd you drop it?"

"Oh, I noticed it was missing last ni..." Masumi stopped dead in her tracks. "Wait, but that means..."

"I think we might have to re-evaluate our Attic theory," Conan said.

 **Scene Transition**

Hitoshi stood in place near the front door. Anxious, he looked up at the ceiling.

Then someone knocked. He answered it, and standing at the door was Yayoi Shiroba, age 67.

"Ah, Shiroba-san!" Hitoshi greeted.

"Kamiya-kun," she acknowledged, nodding. She stepped inside.

"Ah, Shiroba-san!" Jirokichi said, extending his hand. She shook it. "We weren't sure if you were going to make it."

"Why, of course I'd be here today!" she said. "It's the first public event held on my ancestor's estate in nearly four decades! I'd like to look around, if you don't mind. Just to see what this old house looks like after all that restoration work you've conducted."

"Why, of course," Jirokichi said. "Right this way." He pointed to the ballroom.

"Actually, I'd like to check out the upstairs first, if you don't mind," Yayoi said.

"Uh, we've come across some problems during the restoration effort," Hitoshi said.

"The stairs aren't structurally sound," Jirokichi lied. "Neither is the flooring upstairs."

Yayoi nodded. "I see. Well then...I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with seeing the restored downstairs for the time being."

She walked away, heading towards the ballroom.

Then there was another knock on the door. Hitoshi answered it and there were two more guests.

"Hey there!" Jirokichi said with a big grin, trying to exude confidence in this highly unstable situation. "Please, come right in!"

The guests did.

"So, Ayako-kun is finally getting hitched, huh?" Shinji Watanabe, age 54, said.

"It looks that way, yeah," Jirokichi said.

Mr. Watanabe sneezed violently. Then he did it again.

"Are you all right?" Jirokichi asked.

Mr. Watanabe rubbed his nose. "Sorry, it's just my allergies acting up, I guess."

"Frankly, I didn't think my little brother would be able to find himself a woman," Tatsuji Tomizawa, age 28, the middle Tomizawa child, said. "With his shy nature and all, that is. And here he is: on the eve of his wedding. I suppose I should go congratulate him before the wedding starts."

 **Scene Transition**

The Folding House is a myth, Conan thought. That much has been soundly proven. This is the exact same upper floor as was here yesterday. The only real change is in its superficial appearance. But how did that person do it? How did...?

Wait, he thought. The rooms seem to be a lot more narrow than they were yesterday. There's a lot of doors, and sometimes they even divide a normal sized room into several smaller rooms. The prior format had a lot of walls; this is a markedly different format, which appears to have more open space until you enter the rooms. So is it...compensation?

He smiled. There was no change in mass here. Everything had to be re-used. It doubt that even throwing stuff out the window was an option.

 **Scene Transition**

The outhouse door opened and Hitoshi stepped out. Yuzo was waiting.

"There's something I'd like to tell you," Yuzo said. "No. Rather, something that I'd like to request."

"What is it?" Hitoshi asked.

"I wasn't going to say this in front of everyone else, but..." Yuzo began. "Whenever this is all over, if Ayako and I are still alive...I'd like for you to stay away from the two of us."

"...I see," Hitoshi said. "You think that I'm the person who sent that threatening letter, despite the fact that the culprit is currently trapped in the attic."

"We don't know that for sure!" Yuzo said. "The Folding House trick could be nothing but a diversion!"

"That doesn't make sense," Hitoshi said. "Why would the culprit send that letter then? It'd be smarter to simply show up and strike silently, would it not? The Folding House must have something to do with this, and the culprit must be so confident in his or her ability to take advantage of this house's secret that he or she was bold enough to send the letter. Now if you'll excuse me, I still have work to do. Unlike you I don't have the luxury of twiddling with a paintbrush all day long."

He turned to leave. "Oh, and one more thing. Tell Ayako that I wish her a happy life. That's all I ever wanted anyway. You will tell her, won't you?"

"...Yeah, I'll tell her," Yuzo said.

 **Scene Transition**

"Huuhh?!" Heiji said. "You'se sayin' ya solved it?"

"Yeah," Conan said. "The reason I called for you two is because I can't lift it by myself."

"It?" Masumi said.

"The walls," Conan said.

A minute later Heiji, Masumi...and Kogoro were positioned to begin pushing one of the walls (better described as a room divider).

"No no no," Conan said. "You're doing it wrong. Didn't I use the word lift?"

"Geez, why am I doing this," Kogoro muttered.

The three of them lifted on it, and...

"H-hey! It came out!" Kogoro said.

" _Ah-le-le_?" Conan said. "What's that sticking out of the bottom of the wall?"

"Dey looks like pegs," Heiji said. "Wait! Dat means...!"

"The bed back then," Masumi said. "I couldn't move it because I was trying to push it when it needed to be pulled upwards."

"I see there's some small round holes in the floor beneath this wallpiece," Kogoro said. "I'm guessing that's where the pegs go into...AHA! If the walls can be taken apart and re-arranged, then...wait. There's no small round holes all over the ground. Only in those places where the wallpieces are now. Obviously the layout of the second floor now is different than it was yesterday, so this doesn't add up."

"Uncle Kogoro," Conan said. "What if the holes don't go all the way through to the other side?"

"Da otha side?" Heiji said. "Are ya sayin' dat da floorboards get flipped around?"

"Indeed," Conan said. "The flooring this side up shows traditional Japanese flooring. When flipped, however, it shows Western-style flooring. I'm assuming, of course, that when flipped around, the floorboards would reveal different sets of small holes that don't go all the way through, so that the walls for the Western-style design can be set up in a different arrangement."

"But what about the walls?" Masumi asked. "These are clearly Japanese-style walls."

"Wallpaper," Heiji said. "My guess is da wallpaper gets peeled off ta reveal Japanese walls."

"But where does the wallpaper go?" Kogoro asked.

Masumi smiled. "I think I've got this. As you'll notice, some of the walling consists of Shoji design, correct?"

(Author's Note: Shoji is what we think of as "traditional" Japanese walls, with wooden latticework/frames over thin white paper).

"Uh, yeah?" Kogoro said.

"What if part of the Shoji walls can be temporarily removed?" Masumi posited. "Then, you take the wallpaper, flip it around to its white sticky side, and put that underneath in place of traditional Japanese paper? You can do that for the front side and the backside, using two of the wallpaper instead of one. Or, you could even fit some in the middle, if there were a surplus."

"I tink I get what youse is sayin' and all," Heiji said. "But wut about da otha stuff? What about da beds? Desks? Drawers? Da cabinets with books?"

"He has a point," Kogoro said.

"The library cabinets are easy enough," Conan said. "Masumi, when dealing with that thing, how many components of the door did you have to deal with to close it? Two?"

"No, four," Masumi said. "One on the upper left, one on the upper right, one on the lower left, and one on the lower right. I'm guessing you mean to say that it was two separate cabinets stacked on top of each other?"

"Correct," Conan said. "From that point, it could be emptied of its books and filled with other stuff."

"But where would the books go?" Kogoro asked.

Conan shrugged. "I saw an old shed in the back. Perhaps that's where extra props would be stored until use? It could, of course, apply for stuff like beds as well. There's no need to figure out every little part of the trick this time, since it's already established that the Folding House is an illusion."

"I'll go check dat out!" Heiji said, running off.

"Man, this is kind of disappointing to be honest," Kogoro said. "We've all been duped by this 'folding house' nonsense. I guess we'd better go tell..."

And that's when they heard the sound of the chapel organ. The wedding had begun.

 **Scene Transition**

Sonoko and Nancy sat at a table in the ballroom.

"...So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Nancy asked, feeling like she was being interrogated.

"Uh, not anything in particular," Sonoko asked. "You know, you look a lot like a certain person I used to know."

"What happened to her?" Nancy asked.

"She went away," Sonoko said sadly. "I'm never going to see her again."

"You mean she died," Nancy said.

Sonoko was silent.

"Tell me about her funeral," Nancy said. "What was it like? Who spoke that day? What kind of reflections were made upon my life?"

"Your life?" Sonoko asked.

"I-I mean..." Nancy stammered. "Anyway, what was it like?"

Sonoko sighed. "I really don't want to talk about this, kid." She began to rise from the table.

"Please!" Nancy said. "I really want to know, please."

Sonoko sat back down. "Just about everyone she knew showed up. People from school, people with the local police who had met her during crime scene investigations. There was only one person who didn't show up, but he should've been there more than anyone."

"Shinichi?" Nancy asked.

"You know, you seem to be pretty bad with honourifics," Sonoko said. "Didn't your parents ever teach you to say - _san_ when referring to your elders?"

"But was it Shinichi who didn't show?" Nancy asked.

"...Yeah," Sonoko said.

"But Conan did show?" Nancy asked.

"Yeah, the best was there," Sonoko said. "That deduction maniac did leave a note, though."

"A note?"

"Well, a letter," Sonoko said. "He said some really crazy stuff on there, such as that some mafia people had forced him into hiding the night of his disappearance. I mean, the nerve of that guy! He used Ran's death as an opportunity to spin a tall-tale like that! Oh, he did say one thing at the end, something that brought chills down my spine."

"What did he say?" Nancy pressed.

"He said...I will hunt you down and kill you, you sick sons of b****es. I won't give you the opportunity to turn yourselves in. I won't show you mercy. You can't appease me with money. Either you kill me or I'll kill you, because in killing the girl I love more than anybody else in the whole world, you've pushed me beyond my breaking point."

Nancy was stunned.

"I mean, it was like pure rage flowed from his words," Sonoko said. "For a second I actually thought he was telling the truth!"

...So that's what he did, Nancy thought. When I died, he set out to take the lives of those men.

At that moment they heard the sound of the chapel organ.

"Whoops, look at the time," Sonoko said. "Let's go sit down in the chapel and watch the wedding."

 **Scene Transition**

You little sl*t, how dare you steal my beloved, that person thought. I'm gonna kill you now. Oh, how I'm going to F***ING KILL YOU!

The gun had been assembled, with the silencer on the end. He/she knew where the bride and groom would be standing. Two shots into this wall, and they'd both have their brains blown out.

"Enough."

That person turned around. Standing there was Ryan Jackson.

"B-but...the wedding!" that person said.

"The audience can wait in their seats for a few minutes," Jackson said. "I figured ensuring the safety of the bride and groom was more important."

"I must say, I figured out the trick but I never expected that you would be the culprit."

Conan stepped into view, standing behind Ryan Jackson. With him was Heiji Hattori and Masumi Sera.

"But...how?!" the culprit demanded.

"The Folding House was nothing more than a clever ruse created by Samizu Kichiemon," Conan said. "It's fooled many guests over the course of several centuries; after Kichiemon's death, only the mansion's owner and those people who had worked on the project knew the trick. But then again, as the descendant of the owner, you would know, would you not?"

The culprit was, in fact, Yayoi Shiroba, the old lady.

"Dere's just one ting dat I still don't get," Heiji said. "How can a little old lady move all dat stuff around?"

Yayoi scoffed. "I've been doing menial labour all of my life. The Folding House is all of our family fortune that survived over the last century...until recently, after decades of disuse I finally sold it for a third of its market value."

"So your real motivation is bitterness over Jirokichi-san buying your family's property for so cheap?" Ryan Jackson asked.

"Nah," Yayoi said. "It's a piece of property and nothing more. My motive was exactly as specified in the note. I wanted them to know what I was going to do, but I wanted to get away with it by having them focus their attention on some imaginary criminal in the attic instead of on the guests."

"Wait: you're in love with Yuzo-san?!" Masumi exclaimed. "An old woman like you?!"

"Love knows no age, kid," Yayoi said. "He's such a fine young man...I loved him from the moment I first laid eyes on him. But now he's engaged to that stupid b***h! It makes my blood boil! If they wanna be together so badly, I'll let them be together in hell!"

"You're wrong, you know."

Standing behind Yayoi was Hitoshi. Knowing that she was surrounded, she ran to where she could keep an eye on all of them.

"What was that, punk?" Yayoi said.

"What you said just now was wrong," Hitoshi said. "You claimed that you loved Yuzo. If that was true, then why are you trying to kill him?"

"What do you know about love?!" Yayoi barked.

"More than you, apparently!" Hitoshi said. "When you love somebody, their needs take precedence over your own. When you love someone, you want what's best for them. This desire translates into action, and you'll continue to look out for that person regardless of how your emotions change over time. Because the truth is...love is not an emotion. Love is action, or it doesn't exist at all. What you feel is passion, and nothing more. So how dare you talk about love while holding that gun in your hand? You are making a mockery out of what I feel, what Ayako and Yuzo feel for each other, and what people in love around the world feel."

"You've just dug your own grave, brat!" Yayoi raged. She pointed her gun at Hitoshi.

"Wait," Jackson said. "The rest of you, get back inside and head for the chapel. Tell them that I'll be coming in a minute, after I finish off the culprit behind the threatening letter."

"But...!" Conan began.

"I'll be fine," Jackson said. "Conan-kun, as you know, I would not have my...other job if I couldn't hold my own against some common thug."

Reluctantly, everyone left the scene, leaving Jackson to face Yayoi. He stepped to the side so that any gunfire would not spill over into the chapel.

"Oh how noble of you," Yayoi said. "You looking to become a Christian martyr? Because I'm about to grant your wish."

"What a nice gun you've got there," Jackson said. "Mind if I ask what kind it is?"

"I really couldn't say," Yayoi said.

"That's fine," Jackson said. "I'll be happy to tell you. What you are holding is a Colt AR-15, a semi-automatic with reasonable accuracy."

"Stalling won't help you," Yayoi said.

"Oh, but what I'm saying is very relevant," Jackson said. "After all...the gun you're using cannot hit me!"

At that moment he rushed towards Yayoi. She raised her gun, but he moved his body out of the bullet's flight path a split second before she fired. The shot missed, so she aimed again. Once again, he moved his body out of the bullet's flight path right before she fired, and the bullet missed again. Jackson grabbed the gun from her hands and bashed her skull in with the butt of the rifle, knocking her out instantly.

 **Scene Transition**

Ryan Jackson entered the chapel, dragging Yayoi's unconscious body with him. He laid her down on the floor.

"W-what are you doing to Shiroba-san?!" Jirokichi protested.

"This is the culprit," he announced. "Mouri-san, if you'd please keep her subdued until the police arrive, the wedding will now commence.

 **Ending:**

( _Natsu no Maboroshi_ by Garnet Crow, a chord sheet for my version of the song below)

D# Minor B Major F# Major C# Major

(Wordless opening part to the song)

A Major E Major F# Minor C# Minor

 _Heya no mado no mukou ni hikouki kumo o nazotte_

D Major C# Minor F# Minor G Major (E Major)

 _Kyou kenkashita kimi no koto bakari kangaeteta_

A Major E Major F# Minor C# Minor

 _Sasai na koto de to madotte fuantei de muboubi na_

D Major C# Minor F# Minor

 _Ano koro no you ni sugu ni denwashite_

D Major E Major F# Minor

 _Warai aetara ii no ni ne_

G# Major A# Major C Minor G Minor G# Major A# Major D# Major

 _Chika zuite kuru shifuku no toki wa_

G# Major D# Major G# Major A# Major

 _Itami o tomonainagara ashi oto o tateru_

C Minor G Minor G# Major A# Major D# Major G# Major D# Major A# Major

 _Kangaesugite fukami ni hamaru kimi no soba ni iru no ni_

E Major B Major C# Minor E Major

 _Natsu no maboroshi hitomi tojimete ichiban saishou ni kimi o omoidasu yo_

A Major B Major G# Minor C# Minor

 _Dakedo kimi to ikiteyukitai kara_

A Major E Major F# Minor G# Minor A Major B Major E Major

 _Tomadoinagara demo ii tsunaida te o hanasanaide ne_

 **Post-Credits:**

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Before Jackson could finish that second sentence, Yuzo and Ayako locked lips passionately. The audience cheered wildly.

The festivities lasted for several hours. Sonoko caught the bouquet, Eri gave Kogoro permission to have one drink, and of course the police arrived to arrest Yayoi Shiroba for illegal possession of a firearm and attempted murder.

But finally, it was time to go. As the Mouris got into their car...

"WAAIIT!"

Sonoko came running at rapid speed until she reached the rental car, panting hard.

"Nancy," Sonoko said. "Let's hang out again sometime, alright?"

"How about next Saturday?" Nancy said.

"Yeah," Sonoko said. "Next Saturday sounds good. We could go get some frozen yogurt. My treat?"

Nancy nodded. "That sounds great."

"Great, I'll see you then," Nancy said.

 **Scene Transition**

The Mouri rental car made its way along the open roads of Japan. Again, Conan and Nancy were sitting in the back.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Conan-kun?" Eri asked.

Conan nodded. "I'm glad I went."

"Hey, Conan," Nancy whispered.

"Eh?" Conan. "What is it?"

"I spent much of the day talking to Sonoko.

"Yeah, I noticed. What about it?"

"She told me...about the funeral, about what was said there. By you."

S-she knows?! Conan thought. His heart was beating fast. "Ran, do not look into that, I beg you. I did some things then that I'm not proud of, and I don't want you seeing that side of me."

Nancy reluctantly nodded. "Okay, I won't."

"Good," Conan said. "Now, it'll be a long trip back home. How about I ask you some riddles, and then you ask me some?"

"No fair!" Nancy said. "You'll win that game easy! How about something a little more even? Something less competitive."

"Wait, you don't mean..." Conan began.

Nancy opened her backpack and took out a colouring book. "What colour crayon do you want?"

Oh dear, Conan thought.

 **Scene Transition**

 _Fallujah, Iraq, November 16, 2004_

 _The forces of war raged on across the landscape of a city that once held a quarter of a million people._

 _Pinned down by gunfire from a lone Iraqi insurgent, four soldiers hid behind a barricade._

 _"Allahu Akbar!" the teenage terrorist screamed as he fired his AKM assault rifle at the barricade wildly._

 _"What's the game plan?!" one soldier asked._

 _"Uh, we could wait until he runs out?!" another suggested._

 _"I've got this."_

 _"What? No! What are you doing, Ethan?!"_

 _The soldier named Ethan ran out from behind the barricade and rushed at the insurgent, who then aimed his gun at that lone, exposed target._

 _Somehow, the soldier continually avoided falling with the terrorist's line of fire. He managed to come within less than a foot of the terrorist and with a clean hit to the gut he incapacitated the terrorist. He took the insurgent's gun and pointed it at him. By this point the insurgent was whimpering in fear._

 _"It's all clear!" Ethan called out._

 _His comrades slowly came out from behind the barricade._

 _"Ethan, what the h**l was that?!" his superior barked._

 _Ethan shrugged. "I disarmed this kid without having to kill him. Are you really going to complain?"_

 _His superior calmed down a bit._

 _"Hey, what was that you just did?" one of Ethan's comrades asked._

 _"Just a little something I came up with a while back," Ethan said. "It takes practice, let me tell you that."_

 _"Can you teach me how to do that?"_

 _Ethan shrugged. "Sure. What's your name?"_

 _"Ryan Jackson."_

 _"Hi Ryan, I'm Ethan Hondou."_

 _They shook hands, and a friendship was born that day._

"Sir? What are you doing?"

This was enough to snap Ryan out of his thoughts. The car was swerving into the other lane. Ryan quickly brought the vehicle back on the correct path.

"Whew, that was close," Ryan said. "Thanks."

"So I got a call from Elena a few minutes ago," Yoshiteru said.

"What did she have to say?"

"She told me to tell you that Akai has a lead on Rum. He's pursuing that lead now."

"...I see. What are we to do with this tidbit?" Jackson asked.

"For the time being, she wants us to resume our normal activities, but she'll call us if there's any new developments."

"For his sake and ours, he'd better be careful," Jackson said. "If his cover gets blown it'll bring great harm to the cause."

"Indeed," Yoshiteru said. "His reckless actions already got Hidemi killed once. If anything were to happen to her again because of his actions...then I will personally pull the trigger on Shuichi Akai."


End file.
